Polling stations open as race to be named Stirling MP gets underway

People are being encouraged to go to polling stations and vote on Thursday

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The polling stations are opened, with voting in the General Election underway.

Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm on polling day and all residents who are registered to vote should have received a poll card with details of their polling station.

When voting, all you need to give is your name and address, though it may be helpful to take your poll card.

There are five candidates to choose from in Stirling. Incumbent Steven Paterson will attempt to retain the seat he won two years ago for the Scottish National Party , when he gained a majority of 10,480 over closest competitor Labour’s Johanna Boyd.

Former Braehead Community Council chairman and recently elected Stirling East councillor Chris Kane will stand for Labour this time round.

Stephen Kerr will be hoping to build on a recent upsurge in voting for the Conservatives at the Stirling Council elections.

The Bridge of Allan businessman finished third in 2015, polling 12,051 votes.

Wendy Chamberlain, a former member of the police force and communications lecturer, will stand for the Liberal Democrats – and will hope to gain on the 1,392 votes Elisabeth Wilson got at the last count.

The candidates from the bigger parties are joined on the ballot paper by Stirling University professor Kirstein Rummery.

Standing for the Women’s Equality Party, she has pledged to raise issues that the other parties will not and fight for equality for women.

Turnout at the last election was 77.5 per cent, with 52,135 Stirling residents registering their ballots at polling stations.

Mr Paterson gained the seat with a swing of 22.5 per cent, taking over from Labour’s Anne McGuire – who retired having been in the post at Westminster since 1997.

This week, we will have a special election edition, featuring full results and reaction from the count, which takes place at the Albert Halls in Stirling.

Be sure to pick up a copy of our special election edition Stirling Observer, which will arrive in the shops on Saturday morning.